South Side News & Notes

By Maria Lindsay

Sheriff investigating
bank robbery

GREEN — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bank robbery that occurred at the Massillon Road National City Bank Feb. 10.

Teaming with the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the sheriff’s office is looking
for a suspect described as a white male in his early
30s, 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighing approximately
215 pounds.

The suspect did not use a weapon
and left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.
There were no customers in the bank at the time of the
robbery.

Anyone with information on the
suspect is asked to contact Det. Ann Manuel at (330)
643-7850 or leave an anonymous tip with Crimestoppers
at (330) 434-2677.

Zoning code on fences
to be reworked

GREEN — The city of Green’s
zoning code is set to undergo some revision after the
9th District Court of Appeals ruled against the city
on a case involving a fence built on top of a mound.

The case involved Loraine Porter,
of Melanie Drive, who last August built a 3-foot-high
mound in her back yard, then a 6-foot fence on top of
it. City officials notified the woman she would need
a variance for the fence because it measured 9 feet,
which is 3 feet higher than permitted.

“Sometimes a mound is logical,
but not in this instance,” said city Planning
Director Wayne Wiethe. “She built the mound to
block water coming from the other side and
left her neighbor with an eyesore.”

In October 2005, the city’s
Board of Zoning Appeals denied Porter’s request
for a variance.

Porter appealed the decision
to Summit County Common Pleas Court, where Judge Elinore
Stormer agreed with city of Green officials that the
fence did not comply with the zoning code.

Porter took the case to the appeals
court and won because the city’s code does not
contain language specifying how to measure the height
of a fence, according to the ruling.

Heart health program offered

GREEN — Heart Disease is
the No. 1 killer of Americans, and more than half of
all people who die of the disease succumb without warning,
according to officials with PBS 45 and 49. The TV station
has developed an “Aging Smart” initiative
that includes on-air programming, community events and
a free quarterly newsletter designed to help community
members age positively, healthfully and wisely.

Northeast Ohio Cardiovascular
Specialists will partner with PBS 45 and 49 to present
a free program on heart health Feb. 28 from 9 to 11
a.m. at the Green Family YMCA, 3800 Massillon Road.

The event will include a screening
of “The Hidden Epidemic: Heart Disease in America”
and a question- and-answer
segment with nurse practitioner Louann Baily. Participants
also will receive free materials about heart health.

Preregistration is required.
To reserve a seat, call (800) 554-4549.

“Aging Smart” on-air
programs run Mondays through Fridays from 2 to 3 p.m.
and during the primetime schedule.

Sutton plans town
hall meetings

DOWNTOWN AKRON — U.S. Rep.
Betty Sutton (D-District 13) will host a town hall meeting
Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Main Branch
Library, 60 S. High St.

Sutton will speak about the Democrats’
new direction and how recently passed legislation will
help improve residents’ lives, according to organizers.

Sutton will highlight legislation
passed to end corruption in Washington, raise the minimum
wage, make education and health care more affordable,
and discuss new laws that will invest in science and
end subsidies to oil companies.

Sutton will open the event with
brief remarks, introduce her district staff, and spend
the majority of the event responding to questions. Those
interested in attending and/or submitting a question
for the question-and-answer period should register via
e-mail to summit countytownhall@gmail.com
or call (330) 865-8450.

During the Radiothon, hosted
by 98.1 WKDD personalities Matt Patrick and Angela,
dozens of patients and families shared their personal
stories, prompting hundreds of listeners to call in
pledges.

Leading up to the weekend event,
more than 1,200 Change Bandits volunteered to collect
bags of spare change to begin the Radiothon. These Change
Bandits brought in $146,383 during the Change Bandit
Bash, sponsored by Charles Schwab Corporate Services
and catered by Tangier restaurant.

Prizes were awarded to the Change
Bandits who raised the most money. Winners are:

 Large organization —
Roadway of Akron, $8,400;

 School — St. Augustine
School in Barberton, $6,535.83;

 Small organization —
CSE Federal Credit Union of Stark County, $6,301.98;
and

 Individual — Jacqueline
Miller, of Ravenna, $1,000.

98.1 WKDD raised $20,000 during
its “Pay to Play,” sponsored by Rubbermaid.
Listeners called in pledges of at least $50 to request
their favorite songs. The amount was doubled if listeners
did not want to hear a particular song on the air.

FedEx Custom Critical in Green
and Dave Walter Auto Group in Akron were the title sponsors.
Sky Bank sponsored the phone banks, and Diebold Inc.,
of Green, sponsored a Webcam at www.wkdd.com
throughout
the weekend.

Since it began, the Radiothon
has raised more than $3.3 million. All funds raised
during the Radiothon are used to purchase equipment,
fund research and provide patient care programs for
Akron Children’s Hospital.